During the period of developing the resources, the school
was also in the midst of an expansion of international student
numbers. A similar pattern emerged with the international
coursework students, as with the international laboratory
demonstrators. The students had sound theoretical
understanding, but were lacking in practical laboratory skills,
already developed by the domestic students. International
students can arrive at any stage of the four year undergraduate
program. Depending on the university, the level of laboratory
skills could differ significantly. This variability of skill was
also an issue in the master’s coursework subjects.